“Ah, Marissa!” Old Dorien’s toothy grin greeted them.
Deeper in the house, Rosalind’s sobs had softened and Nad snapped, “She’s not to enter, Dorien.”
Carissa suppressed a sigh. Really? Nad was upset at her? She would have thought he’d thank her for ensuring his wife remained loyal—at least for a little while.
The door opened wider, and Rosalind appeared, rubbing at her tear-strained cheeks. “No, it’s alright, Nad.”
Nad joined Rosalind’s side, his glare spearing Carissa. At least Nad was loyal to her. Tension thickened in the air until Carissa could barely breathe. What was she supposed to do? Say she regretted her words? Or that she hadn’t meant them? Neither statement would be true.
Rosalind’s smile was more of a grimace, but it was beautiful on her nonetheless. “Would you like to finish your breakfast before you depart?”
Carissa nodded. “That would be…” Awkward? Uncomfortable?
“Lovely,” Elon answered for her.
Rosalind offered a tremulous smile. “In that case, I believe I’ll reheat the tea. If you’ll excuse me, I need to cut some sprigs of mint from the garden.” Rosalind hesitated before edging past them.
Carissa nudged Elon aside, so he wouldn’t even brush Rosalind’s sleeve.
Hurt flashed across Rosalind’s expression before she subdued it. “Please, have a seat and make yourselves comfortable.”
Once Carissa and Elon were both inside, Nad shut the door behind them. He turned towards Carissa. “If it were up to me, you wouldn’t step foot in here ever again.”
Her eyebrows rose. The Nad she remembered was meek and mild. One would often have to coax him to hear his true thoughts and feelings. “I can’t believe you defend her. You’re not blind; you saw what happened.”